Cain
by TheologyDiscography
Summary: Life after the O.Z. settles down again, at least mostly. Cain's POV. Slight femslash at the end, slight enough that you'll miss it if you blink.


Cain sighed heavily as he looked out across the lake. DG and her sister were on the other side, sitting in their mother's pavilion, talking. They'd wanted to get away from people so they could really talk, and thus Cain was the closest guard. This didn't exactly fill him with confidence. Despite the current peace, there were still those who hadn't forgiven Azkadellia for the degradations of the witch, mostly resistance fighters who had lost everything to her and the longcoats. They hadn't tried anything lately, and the standstill was making Cain antsy. They were only this quiet when they were planning something big, and it was his job to keep whatever grand scheme they cooked up didn't work. He'd pointed that out to DG, but she was headstrong, and didn't always heed his advice, though at least _she _did him the courtesy of listening. It was more of a concession than he got from the queen, though Ahamo seemed sympathetic.

He sighed again and pulled out the binoculars that Glitch had cobbled together for him after listening to him complain about DG's habit of not taking her safety seriously enough and generally being impossible to effectively guard. It wasn't much, but it was a help, and he was grateful to the zipperhead for thinking of it. As if called by his thoughts, Glitch plopped down beside him on the bench, chattering absently. Cain had figured out after a while that Glitch only talked because he wanted people to pay attention to him. He didn't turn his attention away from the two princesses, but reached out his free hand to take Glitch's. The chattering ceased abruptly as Glitch nuzzled his cheek against his shoulder comfortably, leaning against him. If it took a little bit of physical reassurance to convince the zipperhead that he really was paying attention to him, well, it was a small price to pay for his peace and quiet.

"You know, Cain, you worry too much," Glitch said suddenly. Cain snorted.

"You don't worry enough."

"Nothing's going to happen in Finaqua," Glitch said, rolling his eyes. "It's the Royal Retreat."

"And if the rebellion manages to do something because I wasn't paying attention, and DG gets hurt, who will you blame?" Glitch looked confused.

"The people who did it," he said as though it was obvious. Cain sighed.

"You'd be the only one. It's my job to protect them." Technically, it was his job to protect DG, but he had his suspicions about the man assigned to protect Azkadellia, as he'd never seen the man doing his job, though he'd seen him around plenty. He didn't have any proof though, and just because _Cain _hadn't seen him didn't mean he wasn't doing his job, as he'd been told many times on other subjects. He was really starting to get tired of the queen's attitude. DG and Glitch were the only reasons he was still here. He could have gone with Raw when he left to take Kalm home. Raw would have welcomed the company, and his protection. Or he could have been reinstated as a Tinman and be on patrols. Jeb was a Tinman now. But instead he'd taken the post of bodyguard because he didn't want to leave Glitch and DG on their own in a place neither of them really remembered. DG's memories were a child's memories, scattered and random, and Glitch had issues with memory since the headcase operation. Glitch shrugged.

"Whatever. I'm going to go blow things up now." Cain looked up at him, slightly alarmed, and Glitch walked away laughing. There had been a time when that would have been a prediction instead of a joke, and it still alarmed Cain when he said it, though he usually didn't blow things up anymore. Of course, his projects weren't as ambitious as they'd been before, but he was working up to it.

DG stood, holding her hand out to her sister, who took it hesitantly. Cain watched them walk slowly towards the slim boat that had carried them across the lake and wondered what they had been discussing that had made Az so shy all of a sudden. Not that he would be allowed to ask. The queen was very strict about the proper disposition of a bodyguard, and he was close enough to being dismissed as it was. Only DG's insistence that he remain kept him in the castle. The queen didn't like him any more than he liked her.

DG paused before stepping into the boat, taking both of her sister's hands and kissing her cheek. He wouldn't have thought anything of it, except that DG, unlike Glitch, wasn't usually physically affectionate, and Az blushed. He raised an eyebrow as the duo slowly crossed the lake.

"DG. A word please?" he called as the two started into the summer palace. DG looked curious, but agreeably sent Az on in ahead of her. He looked at her solemnly. "Do you have any idea how clearly those Far Sight Goggles Glitch made for me see across that lake?" he asked quietly. Her eyes widened. "I don't think he's made any for anyone else, but he might have before his surgery. There's no way of knowing." DG nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind, Cain," she said softly. "Thanks." He nodded.

"Just doin' my job." She looked vaguely hurt at that.

"And just what is your job?"

"Takin' care of you." He reached out to touch her shoulder lightly, a barely noticeable smile curling his lips and warming his eyes. She smiled back and hugged him before continuing inside.

****

The bit at the end was written for my little sister, who was bemoaning the lack of DG/Az fics. But seeing as how I really don't do femslash, this is the best she's going to get from me, especially since even if I was good at femslash, that couple just doesn't sit right with me. I don't know why -it's not the incest thing, in stories I usually don't care- but I just can't see it. I see DG with Cain, Glitch, Raw, or a combination thereof. Maybe Jeb.**  
**


End file.
